The online photo company, Snapfish, did a great job in creating a Christmas card for me this year. I took a photo of my "Magnolia Pods" painting and sent it in. It was upgraded from photo paper to stationery paper and they came out really well with a surface upon which to write.
I used colored pencils to do the journal page .... it is easier with a small subject and the colors do not run into each other as easily. So far, I have kept up with my goal to do a page a day for my class. We are now in Week 4.... we' see how it goes as the Holiday Season cranks up!